By Dick LaFontaine with Richard Luthmann
Reports are swirling about two prominent Democratic figures—Vice President Kamala Harris and New York City Council Member Kamillah Hanks—for allegedly leaving campaign workers in the lurch. With millions raised and spent, accusations of financial mismanagement and unfulfilled promises by Democratic party Officials have fueled public criticism and potential legal battles.
Harris Campaign Debt: “A Massive Scandal”
Vice President Kamala Harris’s failed campaign has come under fire for what insiders describe as an “explosive” financial crisis. Politico’s Christopher Cadelago said Harris’s campaign ended with $20 million in debt despite raising over $1 billion. A Harris staffer, who confirmed these figures to Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle, noted, “Jen [O'Malley Dillon, campaign chair] blew through a billion dollars in a few months.”
Boyle reports that money went to extravagant concerts featuring celebrities like Eminem and Lizzo. A staffer bluntly stated, “It was all Jen’s idea to do all the concerts,” leaving little for essential campaign operations like social media outreach and voter contact.
This spending spree has led to layoffs and unpaid salaries across campaign offices. In Georgia, “a group had to lay off 100 people because they couldn’t pay them,” Boyle reported. Harris’s campaign also still owes payments to various staffers and vendors.
As Boyle tweeted, “People who were working for Kamala are still awaiting several overdue payments they were promised for their work.”
The fallout has been swift, with some former staffers accusing Dillon of mishandling campaign finances and setting Harris up for failure. One insider claimed, “People didn’t like working with her. Many felt we lost because Kamala wasn’t allowed to run her campaign.”
With growing demands for an audit of Harris’s campaign finances, the question remains: where did all that money go?
Kamilah Hanks and the “Pay-to-Play” Game
Council Member Kamilah Hanks’s record also raises concerns about unpaid workers. According to an affidavit from political consultant Michael J. Cox, Hanks, and her campaign team led by Kevin Barry Love, allegedly left him unpaid for a $14,000 consulting engagement during Hanks’s 2017 campaign. Cox detailed a disturbing account of broken promises, deception, and coercive tactics.
“I had a handshake engagement with Kamillah Hanks and Kevin Love… I was never paid,” Cox stated in his affidavit.
Even after Cox reduced his fee to $10,000 to fund campaign mailings (that never went out), he received nothing. Cox, who suffered a heart attack during the campaign, described a humiliating encounter with Love, who allegedly attempted to settle the $14,000 debt for a mere $1,250. Cox refused, calling the offer an “insult.”
Cox wasn’t the only one affected. This pattern extends to former attorney Richard Luthmann, who contributes to this outlet. Luthmann provided background and comments on this case.
Luthmann filed lawsuits to recover unpaid monies for his services to Hanks’s 2017 campaign. He called Hanks and Love “Deadbeats.”
“I have utter disdain for those people and the way they operate. I hear four or five people are looking to run against her in the Democratic primary. I don’t really know any of them. But I do know that Kamala, Kamillah, whatever her name is, needs to go away,” Luthmann said.
Luthmann said he is considering backing his own candidate.
“Larry Gilder says he wouldn’t mind ‘saving’ the North Shore. He’s talking about changing his name to ‘Kamala Heals,' ” Luthmann said.
Luthmann continued, “He already has people on the streets calling him Kamala in honor of the late WWE Superstar, and that’s enough for the Board of Election to recognize him after the Bobby Digi-Henry Olisa precedent. And at least people will remember that Kamala a year from now.”
Luthmann and Cox, both involved in Hanks’s campaign strategy, reportedly worked long hours on tasks like reviewing designating petitions for ballot access.
Cox stated in his affidavit that “Mr. Luthmann and I spent at least 100 hours” on Hanks’s campaign, only to be denied payment.
He noted, “Besides Mr. Luthmann, I have heard of several other people related to the campaign that were never paid.”
Cox also testified that while Hanks’s family members received payments, campaign workers like him were left out.
The affidavit highlights how Hanks’s campaign prioritized close associates while stiffing other employees. A seasoned consultant, Cox said he trusted Hanks and Love, whom he considered friends.
But, he added, “I guess I was naïve because I thought Kevin and Kamillah were my friends.”
Lavish Spending While Staffers Go Unpaid
For both Harris and Hanks, accusations of fiscal irresponsibility extend beyond unpaid wages. According to Boyle’s reporting, Harris’s campaign diverted funds to lavish events instead of staff payroll and crucial campaign needs.
Boyle tweeted that Harris’s fundraising chief, Rob Flaherty, is “shopping around the Kamala fundraising email list to anyone who wants it to try to raise the money back.”
In Hanks’s case, Cox recounts seeing Hanks and Love enjoying a vacation in Paris on social media while he awaited payment for his work.
He remarked, “They had the money to go to Paris, but they didn’t have the money to pay their workers.”
This narrative has cast Hanks and her campaign team as figures prioritizing personal enjoyment over financial accountability to those who labored on their behalf. Local Democrats are not happy.
“Kamillah would be a much better person if it wasn’t for Kevin Barry Love,” a Richmond County Dems Committee member said.
Public Outcry and Legal Ramifications
Critics from all corners have weighed in on Harris’s campaign debt.
One user tweeted, “Looks like we dodged a bullet if she couldn’t manage a budget.”
Another added, “How could she have run a country when you couldn’t even budget a 3-month campaign?”
Boyle’s reporting underscores a common sentiment: Harris’s inability to manage campaign funds could have been a warning of larger mismanagement risks had she won.
Similarly, the mounting testimonies against Hanks indicate that her financial conduct could have long-term legal consequences.
In his affidavit, Cox declared he has evidence to back his claims, including emails and eyewitness testimonies, which he is prepared to reveal in court once subpoenaed.
Both Democrats Face a Reckoning
For Harris, who continues to command attention on the national stage, and Hanks, a local politician with aspirations, the fallout from these scandals threatens their political futures. Both cases have drawn harsh scrutiny not only from political opponents but also from within their own camps.
Staffers expected to receive fair pay for their time and commitment but were reportedly left scrambling for compensation, leading to waves of discontent and calls for accountability.
The public will be watching how these financial disputes unfold. The outcome could shape the political careers of both Harris and Hanks as they face demands to address why their campaigns failed to meet basic obligations to the very people who supported their ambitions.
Kamala Harris and Kamillah Hanks: The High-Profile Democrats with a Problem Paying Their Campaign Workers